Lisa Marie lost will to live after son’s death, reveals Priscilla Presley

**Lisa Lost Will to Live After Son’s Death, Reveals Priscilla Presley**

*By Shreya Mukherjee | Sep 18, 2025, 05:56 pm*

Priscilla Presley, mother of the late singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, recently opened up about her daughter’s harrowing struggle with grief following the tragic death of her grandson, Benjamin Keough.

In an emotional interview with PEOPLE, Priscilla revealed that Lisa Marie was profoundly changed after Benjamin’s suicide in 2020. “He was absolutely the love of her life,” Priscilla said. “She didn’t want to be here anymore [after his suicide].”

### A Mother’s Concern

Priscilla, 80, shared how she often urged Lisa Marie to take care of her 16-year-old twins, Finley and Harper. “I’d tell her, ‘Lisa, you’ve got the twins. You have to take care of the twins.’ She tried. She really did,” she explained.

Lisa Marie had Benjamin and daughter Riley Keough with her ex-husband Danny Keough and also had twins with ex-husband Michael Lockwood.

### Heartbreaking Loss

Reflecting on the tragedy, Priscilla described Lisa Marie’s passing three years later as the “second saddest day of my life,” after the loss of Elvis Presley, her husband and iconic singer.

Lisa Marie died at age 54 due to a small bowel obstruction, a complication related to bariatric surgery. “It took me a long time to accept that Lisa Marie was gone,” Priscilla shared. The family was at the hospital all day when they received the devastating news.

### The Toughest Decision

In her memoir *Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis*, Priscilla revealed the difficult choice she had to make to take Lisa Marie off life support.

“They had restarted Lisa’s heart, but there was no guarantee it would keep beating,” she wrote. “I asked the doctor, ‘What kind of life will she have if we keep her on that machine?’ He looked at me with compassion and shook his head. ‘No quality of life at all.’”

### Cherishing Fond Memories

Despite the pain, Priscilla chooses to remember the joyful moments shared with her daughter. “She was fun to be with,” she recalled. “She liked to have a few drinks and hang out with friends. There are a lot of people who didn’t want Lisa and me to be close. We were very close.”

*Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis* will be published on September 23 and is available for preorder now.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/lisa-marie-didn-t-want-to-live-after-son-s-death-priscilla/story

Lisa Marie lost will to live after son’s death, reveals Priscilla Presley

Lisa Marie Presley Lost the Will to Live After Son’s Death, Reveals Priscilla

By Shreya Mukherjee | Sep 18, 2025, 05:56 pm

Priscilla Presley, mother of the late singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, recently opened up about her daughter’s heartbreaking struggle with grief following the tragic death of her son, Benjamin Keough.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Priscilla revealed that Lisa Marie was never the same after Keough’s suicide in 2020 at the age of 27. “He was absolutely the love of her life,” Presley shared. “She didn’t want to be here anymore [after his suicide].”

Maternal Concern

Priscilla, 80, explained how she frequently urged Lisa Marie to take care of her 16-year-old twins, Finley and Harper. “I’d tell her, ‘Lisa, you’ve got the twins. You have to take care of the twins.’ She tried. She really did,” she said.

Lisa Marie had Benjamin Keough and daughter Riley Keough with her ex-husband Danny Keough, and the twins with her other ex-husband, Michael Lockwood.

Heartbreaking Loss

Three years after the devastating loss of Benjamin, Lisa Marie passed away at the age of 54 due to a small bowel obstruction, which was a complication from bariatric surgery.

“It was the second saddest day of my life, other than losing Elvis [Presley, her father],” Priscilla expressed. She added that it took her a long time to come to terms with Lisa Marie’s death. “The family had been at the hospital all day long when we received the heartbreaking news of her passing.”

Tough Choice

In her memoir, Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis, Priscilla revealed the difficult decision she faced in taking Lisa Marie off life support.

“They had restarted Lisa’s heart, but there was no guarantee it would keep beating,” she wrote. “I asked the doctor, ‘What kind of life will she have if we keep her on that machine?’ He looked at me with compassion and shook his head. ‘No quality of life at all.’”

Fond Memories

Despite the immense heartache, Priscilla chooses to remember the joyful moments she shared with her daughter. “She was fun to be with,” she recalled. “She liked to have a few drinks and hang out with friends.”

Priscilla also addressed the closeness she shared with Lisa Marie, noting that “there are a lot of people who didn’t want Lisa and me to be close. We were very close.”

Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis will be published on September 23 and is currently available for preorder.

https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/lisa-marie-didn-t-want-to-live-after-son-s-death-priscilla/story